ecologismico

software engineering for the environment

Ecologismico is a neologism from the Greek words ecology and logismico (the modern Greek word for software), that glues together logos (stands for reasoning in ancient Greek) to define the study of natural systems language and the research of intelligent software systems for the environment.

Research

Our research concentrates on ecoinformatics, i.e the science of information in ecology and environmental sciences. We investigate complex environmental applications of computer science and the enabling role of computer science for investigating nature. Our developments have been demonstrated in several domains, including agriculture, water management, air quality, ecosystem services, tourism, and meteorology.

AgMIP Grant

AgMIP ("Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project") aims to improve substantially the characterization of world food security as affected by climate variability and change, and to enhance adaptation capacity in both developing and developed countries. We contribute in the AgMIP East Africa project, and to the AgMIP data and software teams with the support of a UKAid grant.

Collaborations

For the past 10 years, we have been collaborating with several local and international groups, both in computer and environmental sciences. We have several success stories of bringing these two worlds closer, and teamwork is one of our strong values. We co-organize, contribute to, or promote several events, including international conferences, academic workshops or student groups.

AITOLOS Grant

AITOLOS ("cross-border collaboration to fight illegal logging and timber trade") is an IPA-CPC grant which aims to apply smart ICT solutions for
combating illegal logging and timber trade. Using agile techniques and participatory methods, we identify the weak links in a wood-timber value chain, which could potentially be improved by smart IT applications.

Teaching

One of our mandates is to teach ecoinformatics, software engineering, intelligent systems and information systems, at both undergraduate and postgraduate students. A comprehensive list of our courses is on our e-learning platform.